Rocker Station

Track 1 was the b-side to the 1980 single Hitsville U.K. and is credited to Mikey Dread. Track 2 is the original version of The Magnificent Seven and dates from early 1980. Tracks 3 and 9 are alternate mixes of Rock The Casbah. Track 4 is an extended mix of Overpowered By Funk dating from around the release of Combat Rock or late 1981. Tracks 5, 7 and 10 are performed by Futura 2000 with music by The Clash; 5 and 7 from 1983 and 10 the demo track from 1981. Track 6 is more of Radio One. Track 8 is an instrumental only mix of Overpowered By Funk, dating from probably around late 1981. Track 11 was performed live on the 'Tom Snyder Tomorrow Show', 5th June 1981. Track 12 is a live performance from 1981. Track 13 is a remix of The Magnificent Seven, credited to 'The Grooveblaster', which is an alias for Gerry Belsha. Track 14 is a demo version of the song from Joe Strummer's solo material and dates from 1993.

Review

A compilation CD I made to collect together material I had that wasn't anywhere else, along with excellent filler tracks that are available elsewhere. The quality on most of them is pretty good. Radio One I have taken straight from the 7 inch vinyl it was issued on in 1980, and it was a pretty worn and crackly vinyl, but a reduce-crackle filter has got it sounding pretty good (only a small amount was applied - too much and it takes off song data by taking music signals with it). This track isn't available in full anywhere else, having never been reissued and is a typical Mikey Dread song - dub reggae, and if I say so myself, very enjoyable. Track 6 is the reprise - just a small section of the very same track, but better quality as it has been mastered professionally by the good guys at Pirate Radio Numero Uno, and can be found on their compilation This Is Dub Clash.

Dirty Harry and the New York Remix of Overpowered By Funk can be found on Golden Bullets, and the quality here is pretty good considering they come from vinyl source. There is a bit of background hiss but that is actually present on the vinyl itself. They are actually slightly speeded up over the Golden Bullets versions. I think they sound better this way and is also makes them unique to this compilation. The two Rock The Casbah mixes are enjoyable, and similar to Mustapha Dance mostly. The Hot Tracks mix starts off with a 'radio dial search' (a bit like in Radio One as well) and has snippets of Radio Clash effects and chorus at times. The Ultimix is much the same, with extra vocals present in places. These two tracks don't offer that much new, but are enjoyable all the same. The Overpowered By Funk instrumental is an excellent short version of this song, and is taken from Clash On Broadway Outtakes.

The three Futura 2000 tracks are very similar in music and lyrics, and are basically the same song. Mick Jones mixed The Further Adventures, which is the demo version off Golden Bullets, and he probably mixed the other two as well. The Dub version is from This Is Dub Clash, and The Escapades Of is the version that was released on the single in 1983 (with music credited to The Clash) by the French label Celluloid. It was entitled 'Futura 2000 - Futura 2000 And His Escapades', and the b-side was an instrumental only mix. Good songs, and for once, rap music that is decent and has a valid message behind it. Futura 2000 was the graffiti artist that accompanied The Clash on tour at times, even spraying their background set during the show. His songs basically try to get the message across that graffiti is an urban artform that should be understood. (A good live version of his song can be found on the London Lyceum 1981 show.)

The Magnificent Seven performance from Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show is also found on Pier Pressure and is an excellent live performance from the band, dating from the time of the Bonds Residency shows in June, 1981. Quality is a bit dulled but still listenable. Some great drumming from Topper. Lightning Strikes is taken from France 1981, and is a good performance, being at a slower and more relaxed pace than other performances. Some great guitar work by Mick. The Grooveblaster Remix of Mag 7 is a bit lacking in sound quality but still very good for an amateur remix. Gerry Belsha posted the file to the now deceased London's Burning message board in 2001, and it's pretty good, so deserves a space on the compilation. Thumbs up to Gerry for this one. Always nice to hear people's personal remixes. I particularly like the mini Joe speech on Britain's futile education system, and of course the question "Do you think there's really another band worth listening to other than The Clash?". Like the Hot Tracks Rock The Casbah mix, it uses samples from other Clash songs to great effect.

The final track is a rare demo version of the unreleased classic In The Pouring Rain. A Strummer song written in late 1983 or early 1984, and performed so wonderfully on Give 'Em Enough Dope. It's a classic song, with quite moving lyrics and a tune to match. The demo version is a bit more upbeat than the performance on 'Dope, with cheery flute accompaniment, but the song is still recognisable and the quality is reasonably good. Just a bit of tape hiss. A good rare track to round off the compilation. The date of its recording I am informed is 1993, from the unreleased 'When Pigs Fly' soundtrack.

"One of the most distinctive sounds in rock 'n' roll, there's no doubt - that's The Clash."

Rated: 7 / 10

Extra

First burned on 21st January, 2002. Burnt with CD TEXT.

A second version of this compilation repaired errors on the last three tracks and was burned on 18th March, 2002. If you wish to update your original copy contact me and I'll send the newest version.

Versions of this compilation may be circulating that are sourced from individual mp3 files that have been downloaded from various places. These will be inferior to the proper versions of the compilations. A way you can test is to check if it has CD TEXT on the disc (names of the songs). If it does, the chances are it's a proper copy.